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Scientific
Name
Momordica
charantia
Common
Name
Balsam pear, bitter gourd
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Plant Description
Annual, climbing vine; leaves
alternate, foul-smelling, deeply palmately lobed; flowers yellow, tubular;
fruit a berry, yellow-orange, warty, with red pulp around seeds.
Origin
Asia,
Australia
Poisonous
Part
Outer
fruit coat, seeds, ripe fruit.
Symptoms
Headache,
salivation, facial redness, pupil dilation, stomach pain, nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, muscular weakness.
Toxic
Principle
Resin,
saponic glycoside, and alkaloids.
Structure
resin
Severity
Toxic only if eaten in large
quantities
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